Going It Alone: International Doctoral Student Career Development

• In Event: Graduate Students: Development, Practice, and Advising

Abstract

Developing doctoral students’ agency in career development is important for student retention and training the next generation of the STEM workforce. International students receive a significant percentage of U.S. doctorates, yet their career development has received less attention. This omission is problematic because international doctoral students are often vulnerable: their employment is contingent upon faculty advisors, and their career options can be constrained by immigration policy. Using agency and neo-racism as conceptual frames, this study examined the career development of international doctoral students in physics and engineering. We found that international students enacted agency by engaging in forms of social positioning to increase their chances of success, largely without any guidance from faculty or institutional supports.

Authors

• Amy B Ramirez, University of Maryland - College Park

• Sarah Kilmer, University of Maryland - College Park

• Kristin LaRiviere, University of Maryland - College Park